Attachment for printing machines



May 13, 1930. A. LANGSNER ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 17', 1928 2, Sheets-Sheet 1 M7012 HDOLPH LANGJNER, W; W V m A. LANGSNER 1,758,612

ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING MACHINES May 13, 1930.

Filed Oct. 17. 1928 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 flpmPH LHNGJNER Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE ADOLII-I LANGSNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO EUGENE DIE'I'ZGEN (10., OF CHICAGO,'ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE I I ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING MACHINES Application filed October 17,1928. Serial No. 312,358.

My present invention relates in general to printing apparatus and has moreparticular reference to a device for separating negatives and prints as they are discharged froma printing machine, for instance a blueprinting machine.

In printing machines heretofore provided, the negatives or tracings from which the prints are made, are peeled oil by an opera- ].0 tor as the prints and tracing emerge from the printing machine. Where it is necessary to print specifications and the like comprising a number of sheets in chronological order, the operator must stack the tracings carefully in order that the proper sequence may be maintained when another print of the specifications is made. The operator also transfers the printed sheet to a developing apparatus where the print is fixed, that is to say, rendered permanent. There'are certain advantages involved in printing the various sheets of specification papers on one strip of paper. By so printing, the print may be fed immediately and directly into a developer without necessitating the manual transfer of prints from the printing machine to the developer by the operator, who may devote himself to sorting the negatives or trac ings. It will also be obvious that the pro vision of a mechanical means for stripping the negatives from the print and stacking the same, will eliminate all possibility of disturbing the sequence of negatives comprising a series to be printed in chronological 5 order through the mistakes of an operator.

The provision of a mechanical stripper and stacker alsoeliminates the necessity of employing an operator to separate and stack the sheets so that printing may take place at a maximum speed limited only by the capacity of the printing and developing machine and not by the speed of an operator in sorting and stacking the ne atives.

An important object o m invention is to provide a simple, compact evice for stripping oif negatives from the prints as they are ejected together from a printing machine.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a print separator of rugged construction which may be conveniently built into a printing machine so that prints may be produced in the printer and fed automatically into a developer without necessitatingthe presence of an attendant to strip off the negatives.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a print separator adapted for use between a printing machine and a developer whereby the printing and developing operation may occur as a continuous operation.

Another important object of myjinvention is to provide a print separator having a negative retarder whereby the edge of the negative may be held back until the edge of the print has projected past a print separating element which is movable between two positions, in one of which it may deflect the print along one path, and in another of -which it deflects the negative along another path. a

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent as the invention is more fully understood from the following description which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings: V

Figure l is a top plan view of a print separator embodying my invention, parts of the device being broken away to reveal details of construction;

' Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken.

substantially along the line 22 in Figure 1 showing the print separating element in one of its two operating positions; and

1 Figure 3 is a detail of a portion of Figure 2 showing the print separating elementin the other of its two operatingpositions.

To illustrate my invention I have shown on the drawings a negative stripping attachment for a printing machine. The printing machine includes a frame 11, a guide 12, comprising a continuation of the transparent guide behind which a negative 13 and light sensitive paper 14 on which the print is made, may be passed during the printing operation, being carried along by means of an endless conveyor which may be of any type but which preferably comprises a construction wherein a plurality of endless strings 15 traveling around rollers, one of which is shown at 16. The strings are mounted 1n spaced relation in suitable grooves in the rollers and the roller is spaced from the 12 sufficiently to provide a channel through which the print andneg ative may pass. The strip 17 extends upwardly of the guide 12 which isprovided with an'upward'ly extending member 18 to which is mounted a terminal post 19. The backing strip 17 is provided with a slot 20 oppositetheupper part of the member 18 "and; a ro-l'ler21 is mounted so that a portion of'i ts periphery may pass, through the slot 20 and engage the member 18. The roller 21 is mountedby a spring member-'22 to a block 23which is fastened to the backing member 17 adjacent the' slot 20, the spring member 22' being arranged to normally urge the roller 21 throughthe slot 20 to engage the member 18. The" member 18," the, roller- 21 and the spring member 22 are formed ofcurrent conducting material so that the parts comprise a means for completing a circuit, current conductingj w ires24 being attached to the sprin member 22 and the terminal 19. The bloc;

231is formed: ofnon-conducting material to insulate: the roller and spring member 22 from; the backing strip 17 which may be conveniently formed of sheet metal. The wires 24 are COIIIIGQtQQlftO asource' of electrical power and to magnet coils 25, the function of which v will be hereinafter more fully described.

. Theroller 21 norm-ally engages thestrip 18 to complete an electric circuit for energizing the magnet" coils 25 and it will be apparent that when a print 14 and a negative 13pass upwardly between the roller 21 and the strip 18, being guided therebetween by the guide 12 and the backing member 17, the roller 21 will be raised from engagement with the member 18 sothat the energizing circuit for themag-net coils 25 w i l l be destroyed. r

The negative-separating device consists o a numberof 'elements mountedm a frame 26 which turniis mounted to the frame 11 of the-printing machine. The backing strip 17 extends upwardly of the roller 21 to adjacent thepe-riphery' ofa rubber roller 27 which is mounted on a shaft 63 for rotation in the frame-26, the roller-27 being driven from the roller 1.6" of the printing machine by means of a chain 28 extending between a sprocket 29imounted'tothe shaft 63. The separation of the pninttandnegative is accomplished by means. of a. Veshapedseparator 30which is carried by spaced channel irons 64 extending longitudinally of the device and mounted to the swinging end of arms 31. The arms 31' are mounted to a horizontal shaft 32 journaled in the frame 26. 'As the print and negalongitudinally of the, device and which in turn is carried by arms 34 mounted to a 1101'- izontal shaft 35 journaled in the frame 26.

The arms 31 and 34 may be swung pendulum fashion, between the positions illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 3 of the drawings, by

rotating the shafts 32 and 35. In Figure 2,

thear'm 3 4 is swung so that the guide member 32 moves toward the roller 27. The roller 27, being driven and being of rubber, grips the print 14 and urges it upwardly. The guide member 32, being stationary grips the negative 13 and tends to hold the same stationary, with the result that the edge of the print 14 travels upwardly while the edge of the negative is retarded, the body of thenegative being folded as at 36 in a compartment 37 formed by a wall member 38 carried by the member 18 and extending upwardly and outwardly thereof and a wall member 39 extending downwardly and outwardly of the guide 32. As the edge of the print 14 is thus advanced beyond the edge of the negative, the separator 30 is swung so that one side of the V may extend in the path of the upwardly advancing edge of the film and deflect the-same around the roller 27 and through a guide 40' mounted to. the frame 26. The guide 40 comprisesa stripof sheet metal extending tangentially of the roller 27 and arranged towdeliver the print to a roller 41 mounted in the frame 26. A second roller 42 is arranged in the frame 26 adjacent the roller 41 and both rollers 41 and 42 are provided with conveyor means which preferably ccnsists of a plurality of spaced strings 43 similar to the strings 15 carried by the printer roller 16, the guide 40 being arranged to direct the print from the roller 27 between the rollers 41 and 42 and the strings 43 which preferably are arranged as a partof the conveying meansofa developing apparatus (not I shown), such, forinstance, as the developing apparatusillustratedanddescribed 1n my copending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 252,717, filed February 8, 1928, which is characterized by the use of continuousconveying belts or strings for carrying the print tobe' developed through the device. The strings 43, however, may also be arranged to conduct the'print to. a developing apparatus of any desired form. As soon as the upper edge ofthe print 14 hasbeen deflected to thelleft in Figure 2; by the separator 3-0, the arms 31 and. 34 may be swung fromithe positions illustrated in. Figure 3 of moves upwardly, it will engage the side of the V-shaped separator, opposite to that engaged by the print, and will be, thereby deflected toward a roller 44 and thenceto a discharge table 45 from which it may be transported by any suitable means to the file in which the negative or tracing is pre served. In order to draw the film and print from the printer after each has been deflected onto the rollers 27 and 44, I have provided a plurality of rubber rollers 46, arranged for rotation on shafts 47 which are journaled in the frame 26, which rollers extend'through apertures 48 formed in the material of the separator 30.

I have provided'a novel means for controlling the movement of the arms 31 and 34 in order that they may swing in proper sequence to separate a print and negative as the same are ejected from the printing machine. This means consists of a plurality of members arranged in the frame 26 and comprises a pair of magnet coils 25 which are normally energized through a circuit con trolled by the engagement of the roller 21 and the member18. When the magnet coils are energized, they retain an arm 49 in the position illustrated in Figure'2 of'the' drawings. The arm 49 is pivoted at 51 and has an extension 52 arranged to engage and hold a clutch 53 in inoperative position. As soon as the magnets 25 are de-energized by the breaking of the engagement of the roller 21 and the member 18 when a print and negative pass therebetween, the arms 49 and 52 are moved about the pivot 51 in a counter clock wise direction, viewing Figure 2 of the drawings by means of a spring 54 and the clutch 53 is released to form a driving connection for a cam member 57 whici is driven by a chain 55 extending around sprockets 56 carried by the clutch 53 andthe shaft 63. The clutch 53 thus released rotates the cam member 57 which has cam surfaces 58 arranged in position to engage cam following rollers 59. One of these rollers is mounted in the free end of an arm 60, the opposite end of which is secured to the shaft 35 carrying the arm 34, and the other roller 59 is mounted in the free end of anarm 61, the opposite end of which is secured to the shaft 32 to which the arm 31 is mounted. As the cam member 37 is'rotated, the cam surfaces 58 operate upon the rollers 59 to raise the arms 60 and 61 in proper sequence so that the separator 30 and the guide 31 are moved to alternately grip and release the negative or'tracing and to deflect the print and negative along their respective paths. The cam following rollers 59 are normally urged to engage the cam surfaces 58 by means of springs 2 extending respectively between the arms 61 and 60 and the frame 26 of the device. a

As the negative and print pass between the roller 21 and the member 18, the energizing circuit of the magnet coils 25 is broken by the separation of the roller'21 and the member 18. When this occurs, the clutch 53 is released and the cam member 57'is driven by the chain 55 from the roller 27. As the cam member 57 is rotated, the arm 31 is swung first to the position illustrated in Figure 2, that is to say to the right, while the arm 31 is swung to the'left. The mechanism is arranged to swing the arms 31 and 34 at the instant that the film and negative are fed between the roller 27 and the member 32.

After an interval, during which the print 14 is carried upwardly by the rubber roller 27 and deflectedto the left by the separator 30 and the negative 36 is held stationary by and 34 within a definite interval after the advancing edge of the print and negative have passed between the roller 21 and the mechanism operates in a certain definite cycle, the cycle being performed each time a print passes through themachine and the cam member 58 being rotated once during eachoperating cycle. 7

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be apparent from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the'invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, the form hereinbefore described being of a preferred embodiment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I 1

1. In a separator, means for advancing. a plurality of stacked sheets and a shiftable member for diverting separate sheets each through a different discharge channel.

2. In a separator,-means for advancing a plurality of sheets edgewise and oscillating means for diverting separate sheets along diing paths whereby to separate and discharge the sheets at remote points.

4. In a separator, means for advancmg a plurality of sheets, means for retarding one m of the advancing sheets, and means for defleeting theretarded sheet along a diverging path. t

5., In a separator, means for advancing a plurality of sheets, and means for retarding one of the advancing sheets and .a, member 3 interposed in the path of said retarded member for deflecting it into a diverging path.

6. In a separator, means for advancing. a plurality of sheets, means for retarding one of the advancing sheets and a member capable of assuming a position in which it may deflect an unretarded sheet along one path and capable of assuming another position wherein it maydeflect the retarded sheet along another path.

7.111 aseparator, means for advancing a plurality of sheets together along a predetermined path, a member arranged in said path, said member being capable of assuming a position in which it maydeflect one of said sheets along a discharge path, and being ca pable of assuming a second position wherein itmay deflect a second sheet along a second discharge path, and means for movmg sald member alternately into said positions to separate said sheets and discharge them in separate paths.

8. In a separator, means for advancing a plurality of sheets,and means for retarding one of the advancing sheets and a member capable of assuming a positionin'which it may deflect an unretarded sheet along one path and capable of assuming another position wherein it may deflect the retarded sheet along anotherpath, and means for moving the member alternately from one position to another to first deflect an unretarded sheet along one path and then to deflect the retarded sheet along a diverging path.

9. In aseparator, means for advancing adjacent strips together, means for engaging one sheet to retard its progressrelative to the other, means disposed in thepath of the sheets and movable to a position in which it may cleflect the unretarded sheet along one discharge path and thereafter movable to a second position in which it'may deflect the retarded sheet along a second and separate discharge path.

10. In combination, a print and negative separator and means for advancing a print' and negative together to the separator, the

separator'having a shiftable member for separating the prlnt and negative and directmg them along diverging paths.

11- In a negative separator, means foradand arranged within the separator and in the path of the advancing print and negative for deflecting the former to adeveloper and the latter to a remote discharge point.

. 13. In combination, a print and negative s'eparatorand means for advancing a print and ne ative to ether to the se arator said separator having a swinging member mounted in the path of the advancing print and negative, movable means engaging the negative to retard the same, and means for positioning the swinging member to deflect the print through a discharge channel, means for releasing the negative retarder, and means for positioning the swinging member to deflect the negative through a second discharge channel whereby the negative maybe stripped from theprint and dischargedfrom the apparatus at a remote point.

14. In a separator, a deflector and means for advancing a plurality of stacked sheets edgewise to the deflector, said deflector having an edge adapted to enter between the edges of the sheets to separate the adjacent sheets and diverging sides whereby to deflect the separated sheets along separate paths. 7

15. In a separator, a deflector and means for advancing a plurality of stacked sheets edgewise to the deflector, said deflector having an edge adapted to enter between the edges of the sheets to separate the adjacent sheets and diverging sides whereby to deflect the separated sheets along separate paths, and means formed and arranged along said separate paths for gripping the separated sheets and conveying same along said paths.

16. In a separator, a deflector and means for advancing a plurality of stacked sheets edgewise to the deflect-or, said deflector having and edge adapted to enter between the edges of the sheets to separate the adjacent sheets and diverging sideswhereby to deflect the separated sheets along separate paths, and means including rollers arranged along said separate paths in position to engage the sheets and carry same along the paths.-

17. In aseparator, a deflector and means for advancing a plurality of stacked sheets edgewise to the deflector, said deflector having an edge adaptcdto enter between the edges of the sheets to separate the adjacent sheets and diverging sides whereby to deflect the separate paths in position to engage the sheets and carry same along the paths, the diverging sides of said deflector being perforated to permit certain of said rollers to extend therethrough.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ADOLPH LANGSNER. 

